EXCLUSIVE: After Kwara’s Woro Massacre, Residents Accuse Nigerian Soldiers Of Mounting Roadblocks To Extort Money, Not Hunt Terrorists

The accusations come weeks after suspected Boko Haram terrorists carried out a coordinated attack that left at least 162 villagers dead, throwing surrounding rural communities into fear and uncertainty.

Residents of Woro community in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State have accused Nigerian Army personnel deployed after a terrorist massacre of abandoning active pursuit of suspected terrorists and instead mounting roadblocks allegedly used to harass and extort residents.

The accusations come weeks after suspected Boko Haram terrorists carried out a coordinated attack that left at least 162 villagers dead, throwing surrounding rural communities into fear and uncertainty.

A resident of Woro told SaharaReporters that soldiers stationed in the community have remained within the town rather than moving into nearby forests where the attackers are believed to be hiding.

“They didn’t enter the forest; they are just hanging around the community. That is what’s paining the community,” the resident said.

“The soldiers that we thought would enter the forest to fight these terrorists, they are now monitoring vehicle movement in the town.

“If you come to Woro now, you will see them on the main street when coming from Kaiama. They mount a roadblock there to disturb vehicle owners and to extort motorists.”

According to residents, the situation has heightened anger among survivors who expected an aggressive military operation aimed at tracking down the perpetrators of the massacre.

Community members said suspected terrorists are still believed to be operating within forests surrounding Woro and neighbouring villages, raising fears of another imminent attack.

The fresh allegations reinforce earlier concerns raised by residents of nearby rural settlements who described what they called a near-total absence of effective security presence despite the scale of the killings.

During visits to Kali, Baburasa and Gada Oli communities last week, SaharaReporters observed widespread anxiety as villagers recounted how fear had reshaped daily life.

The village head of Baburasa, Ibrahim Hammad, said inadequate security deployment continued to leave communities vulnerable.

“Regarding security, we don’t have adequate security here. We don’t have full security in this community. There is no force protecting us,” he said.

“It was this same lack of security that made the attack on Woro very easy for them. We are begging the government to please bring security to our community. Sometimes they deploy security operatives, but they leave without even spending a full day.”

Residents said many families now abandon farms early and avoid travelling long distances due to fear of fresh attacks.

A farmer in Kali village, identified simply as Musa, said villagers no longer feel safe carrying out routine activities.

“We no longer go far into our farms. Once it is evening, everybody rushes home because we don’t know when they will come. We heard gunshots during the Woro attack and since then nobody sleeps peacefully again,” he said.

Another resident explained that women and children remain deeply traumatised, especially as many kidnapped victims from the attack are yet to be rescued.

“Our children always express fear whenever they hear any sound or see any strange movement,” the resident said.

“We sleep with one eye open. Some families even relocate to Kaiama and even Ilorin because they are afraid. The Woro attack sent a strong signal that we are also not safe.”

In Gada Oli community, a member of a local vigilante group said residents have been forced to depend on locally made hunting tools despite facing heavily armed terrorists.

“How can we face terrorists with Dane guns and sticks?” he asked. “They carry sophisticated weapons. If they choose to attack us today, nothing will stop them because there are no soldiers or police stationed here.”

An elder identified as Sani warned that communities fear a repeat of the Woro tragedy if urgent security action is not taken.

“What happened in Woro is still fresh in our minds,” he said. “We saw people running with injuries, women crying and families wiped out. Now the same attackers are said to be inside the forest close to us, yet there is no security here.”

Residents further accused authorities of responding only after attacks occur rather than preventing them.

“The government always comes after people have died,” another resident said. “We don’t want condolences; we want protection before another any massacre happens.”

SaharaReporters had earlier reported that suspected terrorists launched a coordinated evening assault on Woro community between February 3 and 4, 2026, killing men, women and children indiscriminately in one of the deadliest attacks recorded in the region.

Among those reportedly killed were two wives of the Emir of Woro, several of his children, the Chief Imam, a school principal, a headmistress and returning students.

Security sources linked the assault to a Sadiku-led Boko Haram faction believed to maintain operational ties with terrorist networks operating across the Sahel region.

Despite the magnitude of the killings, residents said the continued absence of sustained forest operations and proactive security deployment has left communities feeling abandoned and dangerously exposed to further violence.